Lenny Wilkens, the nine-time All-Star player and member of the leagueâ€s 75th Anniversary team, who became a Seattle legend coaching the Super Sonics to the title in 1979, and coached USA menâ€s basketball to gold in 1996, has died at age 88.
Wilkens died surrounded by loved ones, according to the Associated Press. The family did not release a cause of death.
“Lenny Wilkens represented the very best of the NBA – as a Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame coach, and one of the gameâ€s most respected ambassadors,†NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “So much so that, four years ago, Lenny received the unique distinction of being named one of the leagueâ€s 75 greatest players and 15 greatest coaches of all time.
“But even more impressive than Lennyâ€s basketball accomplishments, which included two Olympic gold medals and an NBA championship, was his commitment to service – especially in his beloved community of Seattle where a statue stands in his honor. He influenced the lives of countless young people as well as generations of players and coaches who considered Lenny not only a great teammate or coach but also an extraordinary mentor who led with integrity and true class.â€
Wilkens was born and raised in Brooklyn and attended college at Providence. The 6’1″ point guard was the No. 6 pick of the St. Louis Hawks in the 1960 NBA Draft and went on to play 15 seasons in the league. Wilkens was a nine-time All-Star as a player, averaging 16.5 points and 6.6 assists a game. His best season came with St. Louis in 1968, when he averaged 20 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game, finishing second in MVP voting (behind Wilt Chamberlain). Wilkens was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1989.
However, Wilkens may be better remembered as a coach — he is third on the all-time coaching wins list and was the head coach in Seattle when the Sonics won the title in 1979. Wilkens loved Seattle and was deeply invested in the city, beyond coaching a basketball team.
“Lenny probably doesnâ€t even know that without him, Iâ€m not here,†said an emotional Sacramento coach Doug Christie, who grew up in the Seattle Area.
“He was an unbelievable man. Just an incredible man … ” said Steve Kerr, who played for Wilkens for three seasons in Cleveland. “What I remember most is just the dignity. You know, he was just such a dignified human being and great leader through kind of this quiet confidence.â€
He has coached more games than anyone in NBA history (2,487) and was voted the NBA Coach of the Year in 1994, when he took over the Atlanta Hawks and led them to a 57-win season.
Wilkens also was an assistant coach on the Dream Team, the legendarily stacked 1992 USA Olympic menâ€s basketball team that won Gold in Barcelona (and changed the face of basketball). Four years later, Wilkens took over as the head coach of USA Basketball for the Atlanta Olympics, leading a team that included Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Grant Hill, Shaquille Oâ€Neal, and others to gold.
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